


Chapstick

by bridgeburningbucky



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: AmeriHawk, Cheerful Steve Rogers, Clueless Clint Barton, Happy Ending, Kissing, M/M, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers looking at Clint Barton fondly, angsty Clint, mentions of abuse, smallest of slow burns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26720497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bridgeburningbucky/pseuds/bridgeburningbucky
Summary: Inspired by the song by Hippo Campus "Chapstick"Clint has a crush on Steve but he doesn't think Steve will ever like him back. And he has a love/hate relationship with Steve's cherry chapstick.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Steve Rogers
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	Chapstick

**Author's Note:**

> Couldn't stop thinking about AmeriHawk listening to this [song](https://youtu.be/FDceC3IRseQ) and I wanted to write an oblivious Clint with a happy Steve. Hope y'all like it! (mistakes=my bad)

The water runs red as he splashes water onto his face wincing as the cold water runs over his bloody knuckles. He groans in the darkness of the kitchen as he tries to piece together just how exactly he ended up here. 

Here is the community kitchen of the tower which isn’t a bad place to end up in, but it’s not where he’d thought he’d be at tonight. 

No, tonight he thought he was going to go home with the guy from the coffee shop he frequents every morning. 

And for a moment it looked like that’s how his night was going to end up like. He had made it back to his dates place. Hands were everywhere, a little drunk and lips were touching lips. Clint thought for sure other body parts would touch too. 

But alas, he’s wasn’t so lucky. When is he though? He sighs, leaning against the counter, his right hand holding his left elbow, left hand rubbing his eyes tiredly. 

Footsteps so soft and light that his hearing aids don’t pick up the sounds enter the kitchen. 

There’s a sigh, but this one doesn’t come from him and its more fondness than frustration. 

Without removing his hand from his eyes, he asks, “Was I making too much noise? Sorry.”

He hears the footsteps this time as they get closer and then he feels the solid warmth of Steve’s body stop right in front of him, “You weren’t too loud, I was coming back from the gym and I saw your feet from the doorway.”

Clint’s eyebrows meet at that, his hand finally falling to his side and he questions, “How does that work?” 

Steve chuckles softly, “I tend to look at the floor when I walk through these halls, they can seem looming sometimes. I took a quick look into the kitchen and I saw your beat-up chucks.”

“I guess that kind of makes sense.”

There’s a quiet pause before Steve asks, “What are you doing here? I mean, I thought you stayed back in Bed Stuy during the weekends.”

“Some inconveniences occurred and here was closer than there.”

“Do those inconveniences have to do with the split lip?”

Clint sighs, “My date ended up being an abusive drunk.”

Steve gasps and Clint shrugs. If his line of work didn’t desensitize getting beat up than his drunk of a father and then foster dad did the trick. 

Steve’s reaction is understandable but Clint can also hold his own and the barista only got a punch in, even if it was a solid hit, before Clint had him on the ground. 

It’s still dark in the kitchen so he can’t see Steve’s redden face but he can hear his knuckles crack as he holds his hands tightly in a fist. 

“Easy there pal, the split was just a lucky shot before I beat his ass back. Left him breathing enough to make it till morning. Plus, I can’t even feel the stinging pain anymore.”

Steve let’s a sigh out but Clint doesn’t know whether it’s from exasperation at his throw away demeanor or relief.

Steve reaches into his pocket and pulls out his _Chapstick._

Clint doesn’t need to see in order to know that it’s the small tube of cherry Chapstick that looks incredibly tiny in Steve’s hand. He only sees it when Steve’s in situations where he doesn’t know what to say or do. 

Seems to do it a lot in Clint’s presence and is the reason why Clint even decided to say yes to the barista. 

He’s thankful that he can’t see the way Steve easily glides the tube over his lips. A smidge of red tint left behind that make his lips look _soft_. 

But it’s stupid to think that just because he can’t see Steve’s plump bottom lip that he can’t easily picture it in his mind. He does it at least five times a day if he lets his mind wander off. 

But he _shouldn’t_. 

Steve is his teammate and friend and he shouldn’t be thinking of his lips. 

And not surprisingly, his night just got worse because now he gets to think about how he will never be able to kiss Steve. 

He sighs. 

He pushes off the counter and claps his hands on his jeans, “Well Cap, I’m going to hit the hay.”

Steve shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweats, hiding away the infamous Chapstick, “Goodnight Clint, I’ll see you in the morning.”

They go their separate ways.

__

After their meetup in the kitchen that night, Clint somehow ends up seeing more of Steve in the next few days than he has in the last three months alone. Clint tries to keep his and Steve’s interactions to work and friend group events, but they somehow always end up in a close proximity with nothing to say. 

Not that Steve doesn’t try though. Because he _does_ try and its awkward small talk that Clint never knows how to respond. He’s an awkward person himself but he’s never had this much trouble making conversation with someone. It might be the giant crush he has on the man but he’s in self-denial and there’s nothing he can do but get through every conversation where his mind goes blank when Steve is in his line of vision. 

Like right now, in this elevator that seems like it’s taking forever to get to his floor here.

Nat gives him a knowing look when she comes onto the elevator that is currently occupied by him and Steve. She stands in-between each man on either side of her, her presence cutting through the thick tension that the two blond men managed to fill the small space with. 

“Hey boys.”

“Hi.”

“Hey Nat, your hair looks lovely today,” Steve gets out cheerfully.

And that’s another thing Clint can’t wrap his mind around, how Steve manages to sound so cheerful when he talks to everyone, including him, no matter the awkwardness. 

Nat turns to Steve and smiles, “Thank you Steve, you ain’t looking too bad yourself.”

Steve blushes and it’s not the first time Clint sees Steve literally look like the physical embodiment of ‘awe shucks.’

Nat looks over at Clint, eyeing him up and down, her eyes landing on his split lip, “Split.”

Clint sighs like a petulant child, “The barista.”

She makes a hmm sound. 

Before he can tell her not to bother, the elevator stops and dings open, and she’s walking out, “Later boys.”

Clint grunts out a ‘bye’ and Steve waves goodbye.

Then it’s just them again.

Clint throws his head back and it lightly makes a ‘thunk’ sound against the wall of the elevator.

“What’s the matter?”

Clint opens one eye and looks at Steve’s worried look, “I know the barista was trash but now Nat’s going to go after him.”

Steve chuckles nervously, “Right, well it might take her some time to find him.”

Clint’s eyes widen and he pushes off from the wall, “Steve did you do something?”

Not making eye contact with Clint, Steve shuffles from side to side, as much as his big frame will let him in the small space, “I didn’t exactly _look_ for him…I went out for a jog and I _happened_ to pass by a coffee shop and the barista looked like he had been put through the ringer.”

Clint motions his hand to continue. 

“Next thing I knew, I was in line and I may _or_ may not have threaten the guy.”

Clint lets out an exasperated sigh. Children, he works with _children_ who are tactile trained and spies, who don’t know where to draw the line from work and real life.

Steve continues sheepishly, “I may have warned him if I ever saw his face again, I’d be the one to do the punching.” He quickly adds, “I left a tip though!”

Clint takes a look at his floor approaching and as the doors open, he lets out a frustrated, “I can take care of _myself_.” 

Storming off into his living quarters and leaving a guilty looking Steve behind. 

Who do they think they are? Nat he can understand to a certain extent, she’s like his older sister, an extremely dangerous older sister but he gets it. Steve though, is a newer friendship and are they even that close? They haven’t exactly had heart to hearts, they never hang out one on one. Why did he feel the need to do that?

He takes a second to think about how he should be flattered that the guy he has a crush on would fight to defend his honor but it just doesn’t sit well with him. 

He tells himself he’s going to avoid every and all interactions with Steve if he can help it. He doesn’t want to say something mean to the guy cause in the end he was just trying to protect Clint. 

The universe continues to be against him.

Standing in front of the first aid section in CVS, Clint slowly puts band aids and cut creams into his small basket. He could have just asked Jarvis to send him up some supplies but after the self-care nap he took after his interaction with Steve he decided he needed some fresh air and a stretch. 

He hears someone clear their throat and he looks up at the blinding lights of the store because he knows that low timbre anywhere, “Hey Steve.”

“Hi.”

He has a basket of his own that’s full of snacks and couple of healthy-looking juices. He should have known that there would be a possibility of him running into Steve, the CVS is the closest to the tower. 

Clint sighs because he does feel kind of like an asshole for storming off the way he did earlier. He’s not even mad about what happened anymore. Doesn’t even think he was to be honest. A little voice in the back of his mind is telling him he got defensive because the guy that he likes would only be willing to protect him because they’re _friends_. And it’s not because Steve wouldn’t be into him because he’s a guy. Cap came out as bi a year after he was found so the only reason why Steve wouldn’t go for him is because he doesn’t _like_ Clint. 

_No_ , there’s no possible way Steve would be into him because he’s just _Clint_. 

Still being groggy from sleep and dealing with his internal turmoil has Steve clearing his throat again. This time Clint looks up at him, “Look Clint, I just wanted to apologize for thinking I had any right to go threaten that asshole.”

Clint shrugs, “It’s alright, I overreacted too, I’m sorry.”

Steve shakes his head, “You didn’t overreact. You’re right, you are more than capable of taking care of yourself and it’s something that I admire about you.” His cheeks go red at the confession. 

Clint’s heart skips a beat, “Is it really?”

Steve scoffs and his grin grows wide as he says, “Of course, you don’t need a special serum or gadgets to beat someone to a pulp. I think that’s incredibly cool.” 

Clint blushes and just says, “Thanks Steve.”

The awkwardness that follows them threatens to make an appearance but Clint won’t let it ruin this moment so he points to Steve’s basket, “Got a lot of snacks there, you going to eat all those by yourself?”

Steve chuckles, “Maybe.” He points towards Clint’s basket, “You going to patch yourself up by yourself?”

Clint looks down at his basket, “Maybe.”

With an air of authority that only Steve can pull off modestly he says, “I’ll share my snacks with you and you’ll let me clean up your wounds.”

“Deal.”

They go to the check-out line and Clint plucks a cherry Chapstick from the little displays by the register and sets in his basket. Missing the way that Steve looks at him fondly, reaching into his pocket just touching his. 

They go home together.  
__

That night leaves them on the opposite side of where they were at after the night with the barista. They gradually make their way out of awkward small talk and into a welcome comfortness. Long gone are the days of sitting on opposite sides of avenger business meetings and replaced with whispering inside jokes to each other, almost in each other’s pockets. The days of Clint going out to try and get laid to forget about Steve are replaced with him taking Steve to his favorite pizza spots and showing him the best rooftops to get the best view of the night sky. 

This side has Steve getting Clint to sit still long enough to draw him and telling him about what he thinks of everything this world has to offer him. Clint finally understands why Steve is so friendly, _Life is so unpredictable Clint, got to live it like I’ll be gone again tomorrow._

And more times than not they end up like giggling school children as they sit on the dirty kitchen floor of Clints apartment as they help clean each other’s cuts from their latest mission. It’s late and they still have adrenaline coursing through their veins, the kitchen light helping them clean away the remains of the mission. 

It’s more so Steve cleaning up the cuts on Clint’s face and knuckles but Clint scrubs away dirt from Steve’s face to do something with his hands too. They’re sitting close, legs almost tangled together as they face each other. Their shoulders against the kitchen cabinets.

“You should just wear a full mask, then I wouldn’t have to scrub the bottom of your face raw,” Clint says doing the opposite of that, his touch is gentle. 

Steve looks up at him and his bright smile is a contrast against the dirt and grim. Clint doesn’t catch the way Steve eyes him fondly as he says, “Then I would miss out on you cleaning me up like this.”

Clint drops the hand with the wet rag to his lap, his eyes finally meeting Steve’s, “Steve are you flirting with me?”

Steve throws his head back and laughs, “I have been for the last few weeks.”

Clint leans back and looks at Steve skeptically, “You have?”

Steve whispers fondly, “Nat was right, you are a bit clueless.”

“I thought we were just being friends…you know doing friendly things together!”

“Clint I may not be from this time but I know for a fact that cuddling and sharing Chapstick isn’t just friends being friends.”

Clint looks down at his lap and he feels silly, “I guess…that makes sense but I, didn’t think you would ever be interested in me.”

Steve grabs him by the chin and tilts his face up at him, “I got some good news for you.”

“No way, really?”

Steve cups his face now, “Yes I’m certain, we’ve been practically together for a while now I’d say.”

“This can’t be real, there’s no way how! _You_ into _me?_ ”

Steve nods his head, “I’ve been into you since I first noticed you looking at my mouth every time I’d put on my Chapstick. This is real, it’s _been_ real.”

“Are you _sure?_ ” Clint asks still uncertain. Steve nods his head, chuckling giddily at Clint’s wide-eyed stare. Clint sighs, a small smile gracing his face, “Well, I guess that is some good news huh?” 

Steve leans in to kiss him but Clint puts a hand on his chest stopping him, “ _Wait!_ ”

He digs out Steve’s Chapstick that made its way to his own pocket and he quickly applies some onto Steve’s lips. It’s not the first time he’s done it but it feels appropriate to do it now more than ever. It’s a full circle moment for Clint and it makes what’s about to happen feel more real. 

Steve chuckles as Clint puts the cap back on the tube and he leans in close again, “Okay, now we can kiss.”

And they do, with the taste of cherry Chapstick on both their mouths now, hands bunched onto each other’s suits and tugging at each other’s hair just slightly. 

They break apart, foreheads leaning against each other, quick kisses pressed between giggles, “I don’t even like cherries but I’ve wanted to taste them on your lips forever now.”

Steve gives him one of his crinkled eye smiles that Clint’s been seeing a lot more these days, “Well now you have.”


End file.
